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Whilst we were in Liverpool recently, my hubby treated me to the Alphonse Mucha “In the Quest of Beauty” Exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery. Mucha is one of my favourite artists, he is famous for his Art Nouveau artwork and the exhibition was amazing!

To match the pretty colours of the exhibition poster and booklet I started by covering the page with Watermelon, Guava, Peach, Butter Cream and Caramel Faber-Castell Gelatos and smudging the colours with my finger which I wet with a baby wipe. I applied two layers of gelato colour to achieve a brighter intensity of colour and then I used Earl Grey gelato around the edges of the page to frame it. Next I stamped a series of art nouveau designs over the background using Pistachio Memento Ink; this included a wood mounted circular design by Dovecraft, a scrollwork design by Royal & Langnickel and a flower design by Craft Sensations. I added the cream art nouveau border vertically on down each side of the page which is an outline sticker and then I covered the whole page in a thin layer of watered down Liquitex Matte Gel Medium using a paintbrush to fix the colours and stamped images. As Mucha always added beautiful flowers to his posters, I stencilled a flower design from Craft Sensations using Pébéo modelling paste, I used the stencil several times to build the image allowing the modelling paste dry between each application. I arranged some pretty paper flower blossoms on the page, sticking them down using double-sided tape and foam tape. I layered and curled the petals to give them more volume and used large pearls and clusters of pearls from Trimcraft, for their centres. Then I stuck the Alphonse Mucha exhibition booklet onto the page using double-sided tape and added a piece of lace trim along the bottom and a paper flower.

The lace trim is secured around two of the larger pearls so that it can be unfastened on one side to allow the booklet to be opened. I outlined a circular vintage die cut shape with a moss Spectrum Aqua marker and stuck it to the page using double-sided tape; I liked that it had text on it as we learnt so much from the exhibition information that was alongside the artwork. Then I added a butterfly from the same die cut pack using double-sided foam tape which finished the page.

We really enjoyed the Alphonse Mucha Exhibition, it was so informative and the artworks were breathtaking. As many of the artworks on show were originals no photos were allowed and in fact the lighting was subdued in the exhibition to preserve the art pieces. For photos and more information about this exhibition click here.

If you are interested here are some interesting facts we found out about Alphonse Mucha and his beautiful art:

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was an artist and illustrator who was born in Czechoslovakia. We were surprised to find out how much he travelled throughout his career between Prague, Paris and America.

He rose to fame in Paris in the late 1890s with his advertising posters for the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt. The first poster he designed for her was in 1894 for her production of “Gismonda” and it was so desirable that people stole the oblong panel prints from the hoardings. Following the success of the first poster, Mucha created a further six theatrical posters for Bernhardt. They were to revolutionise poster design with the use of the long narrow shape, the subtle pastel colours and the full-standing figure of the actress placed in a raised shallow alcove.

Following the success of theatrical posters, in 1896 Mucha created some 80 poster designs over the next five years for the publisher F.Champenois to advertise their products. We found out that the advertising posters reflected the modern rich Parisian life in La Belle Époque (The Beautiful Age) with a female figure central to the composition, flowers and beautiful decorative motifs.

Mucha’s fame also lead him to receive commissions to design product packaging and ornamental objects as well as advertising posters. We saw intricately designed perfume bottle boxes and labels as well as biscuit tins, labels and box wrappers at the exhibition.

Mucha had a long-lasting friendship with French Sculptor Auguste Rodin, who Mucha called Master (maître). There were many photos of them together as Mucha was a keen photographer too, in fact he also used photography to capture the female models he used for his posters.

His work inspired the then emerging Art Nouveau style and is easily recognisable with his distinctive graphic designs; he has inspired generations!

On exiting the exhibition I had fun trying on the different flower headdresses, which one do you prefer, we have spring, summer, autumn or winter (grin!).

Challenges

With the circle designs of the stamps, outline stickers and die cut, I’m pleased to join the “Circles” challenge over at Try it on Tuesday.

Mucha is well-known for his central female figures and elegant artwork, so I’m also joining in the fun over at Moo Mania & More for their “Make It Feminine” theme.

As my flowers design includes stencilling using modelling paste, I’m pleased to be able to join the “Stencils” challenge over at Country View Challenges.

I enjoyed creating this page and would like to dedicate it to three of my best friends who are going through hard times at the moment.

Having only the quote in mind, I sought inspiration for my page from some great blog challenges that I wanted to join. I always find that these challenges really capture my imagination and I have such a fun time incorporating them all into my design, and this page was no exception (grin!).

I started by colouring the background with Faber-Castell Gelatos; I did this by scribbling Bubble Gum, Orange Soda and Lemon gelatos onto my page and then smudging them with my finger. These bright colours make me happy as they remind me of some flowers that were bought for me recently so they are perfect for Yvonne‘s theme of “Colour in my World” over at Art Journal Journey. I kept the gelatos thick for the next technique, where I used a baby wipe through two different stencils to remove some of the gelato colour.

I like the way the bubbles and crosses are twinkling over the page and to enhance this look I added some Wink of Stella clear glitter to each bubble, which was inspired by Monday’s “Shimmer and Shine” challenge over at Simon Says Stamp. Next I stamped the heart and circle design by Sugarloaf Inc. using black Archival Ink, I love this stamp it’s one of my favourites. Then I added more shiny elements in the form of Designer Vinyls by Craftime which have a black high gloss finish and detail intricate designs of friends at play. These images were inspired by the “My Friend” theme over at Try it on Tuesday and works perfectly with the quote. I printed the word “Friends” from my computer, fussy cut the letters out, coloured them black with a Faber-Castell Big Brush marker and stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic. They are outlined with Dovecraft black Pearl Effects and more shimmer was added to the centre of each letter using the Wink of Stella glitter brush. Then I used an alphabet stamp set from Docrafts with black Archival Ink, to stamp the rest of the quote, which reads:

“Friends fill your life with joy, your soul with sunshine and your heart with love”.

I added more shimmer and shine using some pretty glitter butterflies from Poundland and also some glossy hearts and flowers from the same Designer Vinyl set. Then I stamped a border by Hampton Art around the edge of the page using the black Archival Ink and added the neon orange border over the top which is from a pack of 3D Border Glitterations by Docrafts Papermania; I really like the glitter effect and their transparency as you can still see the stamped border beneath them. To finish, I added a black Glitterations border on the inner edge of the orange border to frame the page with a sparkly black line too.

Here are the beautiful flowers that coloured my world, they were a gift from a family member who stayed with us recently, I chose similar colours for my page as they make me so happy when I see them – aren’t they stunning!

I also really enjoyed incorporating some of my favourite stamps for the background, border and quote on my page, and taking inspiration from Majo who used quotes on her artwork over at Craft Stamper, I thought it would be fun to join their “Anything Goes” Stamping Challenge!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

As some of you may know from my last post, we recently went to the Blackpool Central Library and I was so inspired by the wonderful architecture and the fabulous interior that I have a few pages that I want to create.

You can find my first page here, which was inspired by one of the beautiful windows. The library also has a lovely café area for the community to use, which is a sanctuary for people from all walks of life that are looking for somewhere to make friends and find purpose. So my second page is inspired by a couple of fun romantic sayings that adorned the walls in this area.

As the library dates back to 1911 and is built in the Edwardian Baroque style, I wanted to create a vintage and ornate page to showcase the sayings from the signage we saw. I also choose the green and pink colour scheme to represent the masculine and feminine colours of the signage too. So I started by adding Picked Raspberry and Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink to the page using a blending tool and then I covered the page with a thin layer of white gesso to tone down the colours. I stencilled letters and numbers from a Past Times stencil by Viva Decor using Black Soot Distress Ink and a blending tool. Then I used some of the same stamps that I used on my first page, these being a Vintage-Cherish butterfly image and also a doily stamp, both by Kaisercraft, which I stamped onto the page using black Versafine Ink. Next I ripped pieces of two different decoupage papers from Poundworld that matched the Distress Ink colours and stuck them to the page using a UHU Stic. Before I stuck down the large pieces of decoupage paper I painted white gesso underneath so that there was a clean finish with no stamps showing through in readiness for the sayings. Once the glue had dried I doodled along the edges of the papers using a black Derwent Graphix marker. Next I stamped the two sayings, which were on the library wall, onto the decoupage paper using an alphabet stamp set by Hampton Art and black Versafine Ink. I added a coffee bean and cupcake alongside the sayings, as well as the coffee pots and cake stands which are all outline stickers, then I outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker. I used Glitterations border stickers to add the black lines and I also added some vintage flower 3D stickers. I fussy cut the heart and cupid image from a card making kit, edged it with a black Sharpie marker and stuck it to the page using double-sided foam tape. To finish, I painted glitter glue onto the 3D flowers and cupid wings to add some extra sparkle.

Last week we went to the Blackpool Central Library which dates back to 1911 and was built in the Edwardian Baroque style. I was so inspired by the wonderful architecture and the fabulous interior that I have a few pages that I want to create. This is my first page and is inspired by one of the stunning stained glass window designs that can be found in the library.

Inspired by the window colours and design, I added Gold, Kingfisher and Aquamarine Spectrum Aqua Markers to the page by applying them onto an acrylic block, spritzing with water and then pressing the block onto the page. I also dripped the ink from the acrylic block onto the page too. I love the intensity of the colours and how they have layered and merged together. Next I added splatters of black acrylic paint using a paintbrush. Then using black Versafine Ink and an alphabet stamp set by Papermania I stamped the word “Freedom”, which is detailed on the window and is stamped in the same shape as the window design. I applied black Papermania embossing powder over the top of the ink and then shook the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper tapping the page against the table to remove any stray powder; I didn’t take too much care in removing the embossing powder as it adds to the grunge look. Once the excess powder was safely returned to its container, I used a heat gun to melt the embossing powder. I swept the gun over the letters, taking care not to direct the heat in one area for too long until the embossing powder changed to a glossy finish becoming smooth and dimensional. I like the way the letters stand out from the background as it looks a bit like the lead of the stained glass. To replicate some of the detail found at the top of the window, I used the same alphabet stamp set to add random black embossed letters to the top and bottom edges of the page using the same technique. I also secondary stamped some of these letters using the black Versafine ink and then stamped them again using the Spectrum Aqua markers to create a layered look. As a butterfly was part of the window design, I stamped a Vintage-Cherish butterfly image and also a doily stamp, both by Kaisercraft, using the black Versafine Ink. Then I used Glitterations outline stickers to add the black lines and blue gems to add some sparkle which reminds me of the light shining through the glass. For the butterfly, I fussy cut the image from a doodle book, changing the shape slightly. Then I coloured in the zentangle patterns using yellow, light blue, black and white Uni Posca paint pens and stuck it to the page using double-sided tape in the centre and double-sided foam tape to raise the wings and create a 3D effect.

My page also matches the combination of colourful yellow and peacock feather images from the moodboard over at Mixed Media World so I’m joining in their “Anything Mixed Media Goes with Moodboard ” challenge.

The Central Library in Blackpool is quite an imposing building being constructed of Accrington red brick with stone dressings and beautiful columns on each side of the doorway. You can see the words “Central Public Library” carved above the doorway and at the very top there is an octagonal leaded dome.

The interior was renovated in 2011 marking the centenary of the building and this included installing some beautiful stained glass windows. This is window that inspired the ink splatters, “freedom”, letters and butterflies on my page design.

It was such a beautiful place that provided me with so much inspiration that I plan to create a few more journal pages which I’ll be sharing with you along with some photos of the interior next week so watch this space.

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

In our beach themed room we have a little plaque that our friends from America bought us when they came to stay, so I thought I’d pay tribute to it for the “Poetry in Motion” challenge over at Art Journal Journey. I’m sure those of you who know my love for walking will think this saying is very appropriate …

I started by prepping the page with a thin layer of Pébéo white gesso to give a smoother finish in readiness to apply the Faber-Castell Gelatos. Once the gesso had dried I scribbled patches of Snow Cone, Lemon and Lime gelatos onto my page to represent the beach; the blue for the sea and sky, yellow for the sand and green for the grassy dunes. Then I dipped my finger into water and rubbed the gelato scribbles to blend the colours; I didn’t use too much water as I wanted a heavier coverage of gelato for the next technique. I covered each of the different coloured areas of the page with a different stencil by Creative Expressions. I rubbed the gelatos through the stencils with a baby wipe to remove and lighten the colour; the stencils I choose were of dots to represent the sea breeze as we take our walk, birds in flight as we often see birds on our beach walks, cogs and a clock face to represent time which ties into the saying. I then used the stencils again to apply Black Soot Distress Ink using a blending tool, lining up the images so they were slightly off centre to add contrast and depth. Next I secondary stamped some arrow images by Hampton Art, using black Archival Ink, to depict the different directions that we can take on our beach walk. Then I used the same ink to add the saying using a Papermania alphabet stamp set. The page is edged with black and white polka dot washi tape which I ripped the tape in half to create an uneven edge. To finish, I added some paper flowers and three wooden polka dot butterfly buttons which I had tied black paper twine through; they are all stuck down using Glossy Accents.

We feel very blessed to live right by the sea so we often go for a walk along our beach. There are lots of different directions that you can choose from … you can walk over the dunes and to a pebbled coastal path. On the right of this picture are the mudflats where we often see birds (see previous post).

If you walk along this path or through the dunes it leads to Fairhaven Lake.

Go the other way and there are beaches and a promenade with lots of things to see and do such as beach huts, pitch & putt golf, cinema etc.

Eventually you’ll reach the pier, this is my hubby with one of our friends from America when they came to stay – hence why they bought us the sign (grin!).

Of course sometimes the tide is in, the structure on the left of the photo at the end of the pier used to be attached to the pier at one time; in Victorian times it was where ships dropped off their passengers unfortunately it was claimed by a fire.

And when the tide is out you can even walk out to sea, that’s the pier you can see in the distance! It actually feels like you are on another planet the way the sand blows in ripples across the surface of the beach (grin!).

Here’s the plaque that inspired my page; it always makes me smile when I see it and it’s a lovely reminder of our forever friends! In case you’re wondering the lamp in the background is made by my hubby out of drift wood that we collected from our beach too (isn’t he clever!).

So as you can see with all the different walks we have to offer, it’s so easy for us to say “Rise and shine it’s beach walkin’ time!”

I love the phrase “Always believe something wonderful is about to happen” as it reminds me to always have hope and stay optimistic. So I’m pleased to link the page I created using this saying to the “Poetry in Motion” challenge over at Art Journal Journey, where you are invited to create a page inspired by a poem, quote or saying.

I started by mixing acrylic paints to make a teal colour, which I applied to the page using a baby wipe. I used a paintbrush to apply fine splatters of white and black acrylic paint over the top. While the paint was drying I drew and cut out some tree silhouettes and twiggy branches from a London A-Z Street Atlas, which is quite old so the pages have aged and become discoloured (grin!). I stuck them to the page using Liquitex Matte Gel Medium and once dry, I outlined them with a black Uni Pin marker. Then I added some bark details using a black Sharpie permanent marker and a white Uniball gel pen so they looked like Silver Birch trees. The butterflies are fussy cut from a wallpaper sample leaving a very thin white border around them so they would stand out from the background and they are stuck in place using double-sided foam tape. The wording is made up from letters that I cut from old magazines and they are stuck to the page using the matte gel medium again. I choose Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks to match the colours of the butterflies and used them to paint the letters; I did this by applying the ink pad to an acrylic block, spritzing the block with water and then picking up the ink with a paintbrush. To finish, I drew white boxes around the words using a ruler and a Uniball gel pen so they stood out more.

The butterflies on my page remind me of these pretty butterflies that adorn my craft room wall, they were bought from a trendy interior design shop in Liverpool for my birthday.

I see them every day and having created this page I will forever be reminded to “Always believe something wonderful is going to happen” – which makes me smile!

Today I have something a little different to show you. I have created a tag to display in my craft room as a reminder to “Be Brave”, “Create” and “Enjoy” when I’m art journaling.

I’d like to thank Chrissie who inspired me to create this tag, because over at Tag Tuesday if you join in the fun you can enter a draw to win a fabulous owl that she has knitted (grin!). Well I really couldn’t pass up that opportunity as it is so adorable!

The current theme over at Tag Tuesday is “My Favourite Colour Combination”, so of course I choose two shades of blue as it’s my favourite colour along with black, white and some caramel accents to complement and bring out the blue tones.

I started by cutting a tag shape from some Design Pad paper by American Crafts, then I embossed white doily shapes and black butterflies onto the tag. I did this by stamping a Doily by Kaisercraft using Papermania embossing ink and applying white Stampendous embossing powder over the top. Then I shook the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper and tapped the tag against the table to make sure I had removed any stray powder. Once the excess powder was safely returned to its container, I used a craft heat gun to melt the embossing powder. I swept the gun over the images, taking care not to direct the heat in one area for too long until the embossing powder melted into a glossy finish becoming smooth and dimensional. I repeated the same process for the butterflies using a stamp designed by Graphic 45 Hampton Art using black Versafine Ink and black Papermania embossing powder. Next I scribbled Boysenberry, Snow Cone and Caramel Faber-Castell Gelatos onto the tag and smudged the colour using my finger which I had dipped in water. Then I wiped the embossed images with kitchen paper to remove any excess gelato. I added a filigree leaf stamp by Crafter’s Companion using Danube Blue Memento Ink, a script stamp by Kaisercraft and a postage mark stamp by Hampton Art using black Archival Ink. To finish the background, I splattered black acrylic paint over the tag using a paintbrush.

The black flowers are felt fabric which I cut to fit and then glued onto the tag using a UHU glue pen. To make the tag more sturdy I cut out another tag shape from thick paper, slightly larger this time to create a border. I stained the edges of this paper with black Versafine Ink using a blending tool, edged both tags with a black Faber-Castell Big Brush marker and then I stuck the two tags together using a UHU Stic. I punched a hole in the top of the tag and outlined it with the black Faber-Castell Big Brush Marker and I also added strips of black Glitterations stickers across the edge of where the two tags joined and also along the border to add more detail.

I added silver glitter details to the butterfly wings using Ranger Stickles and also some glittery hearts and blue round gems using Glossy Accents. The words are stamped onto a piece of design paper which I mounted on the leftover border paper, that I had stained with black ink, using a UHU Stic and then they are stuck to the tag using double-sided foam tape. I tied white organza, blue satin and black velvet ribbons through the tag which finished the tag beautifully.

As my tag has plenty of glitter and shine I’m also pleased to join the “Let it Shine” theme over at Try it on Tuesday. My good friend Gill likes elegance and grunge as much as me and I missed out on the tag fun when she was a guest designer over at Try it on Tuesday a couple of weeks ago, because, unfortunately, I just didn’t have the time. However this week I found that some rainy weather allowed me more time in my craft room so I got to work. I hope you like the result as much as me!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page: